Whether any storm is brewing comparable to last year’s dust-up over deer regulations is likely
to become apparent during the next few weeks.

Open houses are scheduled at Ohio Division of Wildlife district offices and other locations from
noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday for public dialogue, including criticism, clarification and comments,
about division plans related to hunting for the 2014-15 season. The central Ohio district office is
located at 1500 Dublin Road in Columbus.

Open houses also will be held in Xenia, Athens, Findlay, Akron, Port Clinton and Fairport
Harbor. Additionally, comments about regulations can be posted through next Sunday

at the website wildohio.com.

A year ago, Ohio Sen. Chris Widener (R-Springfield) found the proposed deer regulations for
2013-14 not to his liking and received an at-the-time unprecedented opportunity to plead his case
to the Ohio Wildlife Council after the public comment period. The council, after several weeks of
vacillation by wildlife division officials, decided to keep the proposals made in February 2013 to
eliminate the state’s three traditional deer zones, to set county bag limits and to do away with
the bonus deer gun season in December.

Last year’s changes have become the current status quo, although some tweaking has been proposed
for 2014-15.

Among the significant deer changes is the elimination of antlerless permits in 27 counties,
including Morrow, Fairfield, Hocking, Perry, Muskingum, Guernsey, Noble and Coshocton. Hunters can
take three deer in those counties but must pay for regular permits to do so.

“We felt like we were close or at our (population) goals in those counties and no longer need to
use the (antlerless) tool,” said Scott Zody, chief of the wildlife division.

Antlerless permits, which are sold at a discount from the regular either-sex permits, have been
offered in recent years to get hunters into the field early in the season to knock down does, whose
survival is the main contributor to population growth or decline.

A single antlerless permit is proposed for the three-deer counties that include Licking,
Pickaway and Union, for the four-deer counties that include Franklin and Delaware, and for the
two-deer counties that include Madison and Fayette. Anterless permits are not valid in any county
after Nov. 30.

All told, a licensed hunter with the necessary permits may take as many as nine deer during the
season (though only one can be a buck). That can be accomplished by hunting various counties as
long as the bag limit for that county is not exceeded.

“As far as the seasons go, we are not proposing major changes,” Zody said.

Ohio’s bow season would begin Sept. 27 and run through Feb. 1. The statewide antlerless
muzzleloader season, offered for the first time last year, would run Oct. 11-12.

The statewide deer gun season is scheduled Dec. 1-7, preceded by the youth gun season Nov. 2
2-23. The muzzleloader season, Jan. 2-5, will start a day early to take advantage of the holiday
and potentially give Ohioans with time off from work an extra day to hunt deer.

Another seemingly significant change is being proposed in the type of firearms used for deer
hunting during the gun season. In addition to shotguns, certain pistols and muzzleloaders, a number
of rifles using pistol-cartridge ammunition will be legal pending wildlife council approval.

“These are not high-powered rifles,” Zody said. “We have consulted with Indiana, where they have
put in place rules that permit similar rifles. They have not seen any increase in safety issues or
accidents related to the use of these rifles.”

The complete list of proposals can be found at wildohio.com.

A statewide hearing, during which public comments will be accepted, is scheduled for 9 a.m. on
March 6 at the Columbus district office.

The wildlife council will vote on the proposed rules and season dates during its meeting on
April 9. Comments no longer than three minutes in length will be accepted from members of the
public who have registered at least two days before the meeting by phoning (614) 265-6304.